Along the Osage Trail
by WichitaRed
Summary: Traveling can sometimes bring about adventures neither man could ever expect.


The sun bore down, the heat rising, an oppressive heat reminding Heyes of the interior of a potbelly stove. Raising his head, he squinted at the tall buffalo grass stretching away from the Osage Trail as far as he could see and it all stood still, stock-still. "Can't believe we used to call this home."

The Kid riding a bit in front of him did not respond unless slouching deeper in his saddle counted as a response.

Taking off his hat, Heyes tied his bandana around his forehead to catch the streaming sweat and placed his hat back on. "Kid do you recall it being this hot?"

Silence alone drifted back to him.

He squinted this time toward the low hills ahead of them rising from the flat land. "You want to make camp when we reach them mounds?"

Not a word.

"We should arrive in about an hour." He cast his eyes now to the rising thunderheads billowing high in the South and took a swig from his canteen. Placing the cap back on, he considered taking one more drink but in this landscape, he knew it was best to be thrifty. "Almost wish it would start raining, leastwise it wouldn't be so dang smothering hot." He shifted in his saddle feeling his sweat wet pants clinging to the leather. "Then again I don't really want to get caught out here in the open with lightening blasting all around."

Not a sound.

He frowned staring at the dark wet stains on his partner's shirt and the rivulets of sweat that had cut intricate patterns in their horses' coats. 'Glory but it is hot. It'll feel good to get back to the mountains.' Thinking this he felt a pang of guilt, as it had been his idea to skip catching a train in Baxter Springs. 'but it was so nice and cool when we left, everything so green, I thought by riding we could enlarge our stakes in some small town Saturday night games.' His horse sighed deeply, shaking Heyes in the saddle, he patted the animal, "I know boy I feel the same." Raising his voice he called, "Kid?"

This time he thought he heard a snort but was not sure.

'I swear it is getting hotter.' Laying his roping reins across his horses' neck, he struggled out of his vest, hanging it from his saddle horn and then un-tucking his shirts, he un-buttoned his dark blue shirt allowing it to shift about him in the sultry air as he rode. Feeling a bit of air moving through his wet Henley, he sighed and with a cough called out, "Alright Kid I was wrong and I should have listened to you."

The paint cowpony Kid was riding came to a halt allowing Heyes to catch up and when he did, Kid Curry set the horse back in motion so the pair walked side by side. Within a few steps, he roughly asked, "Wrong about what?"

"We should have spent the money for train tickets."

"And?"

Heyes looked down, the corner of his mouth twisting until his dimple clefted one side of his face.

"And!?"

"Driving cattle for so little pay wasn't really worth it."

"Okay Heyes." Kid nodded.

"But we had to get out of Waco and fast that Sheriff was too suspicious after you out drew that little hot-head."

"What, did you want me to let him get a bead on me?"

Heyes shrugged.

"My gun hand has gotten us out of more difficulties then into unlike some things…" He said throwing Heyes a hard look.

"I understand that Kid just maybe this time you could have…I don't know…turned the other cheek."

Kid threw Heyes a look, which would have made any other human on the planet take an apologetic step back. "You want to go back to not talking again?"

"No." Heyes looked up flashing his partner a large smile, "It's just—"

"Uh Huh. It's just time for you to break off going on about it."

Heyes shrugged again and looked off at the still grass, "Ain't you hot?"

"Damn right and you're the reason we're out here."

"Apologize Kid."

"Alright Heyes, I'll forgive you long as you don't bring up Waco again."

"Deal." Heyes looked to the nearing mounds. "There's trees off to the South. Maybe we should start looking for cover over there."

Kid looked at the dark blue horizon where the clouds were back building and nodding kicked his cowpony into a canter.

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At the mound, they both frowned on seeing scant leavings of what must have once been a home.

"Too bad it ain't still standing." Heyes said sadly dismounting. "But we are in luck, there is still a pump." Going to it, he gave the handle a few pumps and water came gushing forth spilling across the dry grass.

"Finally some good news." Kid said with a genuine smile.

Each of them drank their fill, for the first time since leaving the little town of Oswego. As they did, Heyes kept pumping letting the water pour out, saturating the dry ground until it began to pool in the grass where their horses too noisily sucked up their fill.

Kid set to pacing the plot where the home had stood and watching him, Heyes called, "What are you looking for?"

"We're in Kansas ain't we?"

"Yeah." Heyes frowned mumbling to himself, "We're definitely in Kansas." Seeing this ruined homestead brought back some bitter memories for him but before he could dwell on them he saw Kid moving a large board covered in growing grass and as his partner hefted it, flipping it over Heyes felt gooseflesh race down his arms.

Kid dusted off his hands, turning around, "They were here long enough to put a storm shelter in."

Heyes brown eyes crawled over the barren area gooseflesh now standing out rigidly on his arms, "This place feels malign."

"English Heyes."

"Well it feels…" He grinned up sheepishly at his partner, "Can we ride on?"

Kid raised his eyebrows, "It feels…What?"

"Well evil."

Kid snorted throwing his arms up, "Some days you should be damn glad your kin or I'd have broke off riding with you years ago. Evil pffft." He shook his head, squatting and pulling matches from his vest, he lit a twist of dry greasy buffalo grass feeding it slowly until he could get a broken board to light. Standing, the wind lifted causing the torch to hiss and whip, "That storm looks to be bad." He grinned "Evil. Somedays, Heyes. Well, you'll appreciate this storm shelter when that catches up to us."

Heyes looked toward the storm, he could see the rain line and it was coming down black with flashes of lightening. "I'm going to unsaddle the horses." As he worked, the wind picked up and he knocked his hat off letting it hang down his back by its stampede strings.

The horses minced about twitching their ears at the approaching cold front and by the time Heyes was done with them, the Kid walked up. "It's snug and dry down there." He said hefting his saddle and tucking the blanket wrapped about his bridle under his arm. "Big too. Looks like it might have been located directly under the house."

Heyes tucked his own saddle blanket under his arm and picked up his gear, "You're right Kid, it will be nice to have shelter." He pointed at the turquoise line in the clouds. "We're going to get hail."

Kid frowned, looking to the horses, "See you hobbled them."

"Yeah, I was afraid they might break tethers."

"Good idea."

Heyes followed Kid, mumbling, "They don't care much for this place either."

"Heyes give it a break." Kid ducked his head against the now blowing dirt. "You don't think they could be upset by the storm? And, not the evil?"

"Maybe." Heyes said freezing up as he neared the cellar hole. Looking in, he could see a ladder emerging from a corner and a small fire banked in another. "It is big." And, setting his gear down, he plopped down right alongside it. "I'll take first watch."

Kid stared at him as if his hair was on fire, "What watch yourself get struck by lightening?"

Heyes did not respond but scootched further from the hole.

Kid dropped his gear alongside his cousin and began tossing wood into the hole when the temperature dropped dramatically as down drafts came roaring in pushing the grass flat. "Help me position this cover so it shields most of the cellar."

With a deep frown, the type normally reserved for aggravating poker players or overly boastful men, Heyes rose to do as asked. "You notice how cold it is around here." He said levering the cover across the cellar.

"Feels good." Kid grunted dropping a large stone on a corner and going for another. "Reminds me how good Mama's root cellar felt in the summer. Remember?"

"Uh Huh." Heyes mumbled crossing his arms. "This doesn't feel the same to me."

Putting down another stone, Kid stood looking his cousin straight in the face. "You coming down with something?"

"No."

"You telling me the truth?"

"Yes. I ain't sick."

"Fine then climb down so I can pass you our gear."

"I said I would take first watch."

"I heard you and there ain't nothing to watch and I need your help getting our saddles in before that rain comes pouring in."

Heyes stared at the ladder jutting out of the hole as raindrops began plopping around them kicking holes in the dirt and then over to Kid who was putting another large stone on the fourth corner of the cover and taking a deep breath, he turned stepping down onto the ladder. With each rung, he felt his skin rise up with more bumps, cold crawled along his back, the hair on his neck stood up and finally his scalp began to tingle. At the bottom, he spun about searching the dancing shadows being created by the small fire.

"Heyes?!"

Looking up he saw his saddle and reaching up he took it from Kid, the warm salty scent of horse overwhelming him and catching the saddle blanket that came next he breathed deeply of it feeling comforted thinking, 'people ain't supposed to be in holes.'

"Hurry up! It's really beginning to rain." Taking the second saddle, he set it down and before he could climb up, he was pushed down the ladder by Kid's boots. "Just in time." Kid huffed moving boards to cover the hole. "It's starting to hail and some of them are the size of eggs."

Heyes turned to look again at the walls and a shudder ran through him.

"We're lucky I found this." Kid said going to his gear and pulling out a small coffee pot. "You want to get the beans?" He said without looking at Heyes as he dumped water and grounds into the pot. When he heard nothing, he looked over his shoulder at his partner to find him standing in the same spot clasping his arms tightly about him staring at the far wall. The expression on his face startled Kid and jumping up, he spun with his gun in hand expecting to see the grandfather of all rattlesnakes. There was nothing. Looking to his cousin again he found him unmoved. However, his eyes and nostrils were flared out like a spooked horse. "Heyes?"

This time only silence met him.

Stepping toward him, he holstered the Colt, "Heyes?"

Nothing.

Laying a hand on his arm, his voice dropped full of concern, "Hannibal?"

"You hear that?"

"What?"

"Crying…sounds like a child."

Kid froze, cocking an ear toward the cover, even holding his breath to hear better, "I only hear the hail beating down."

Heyes shook his head the barest amount. "I hear it."

Kid started up the ladder.

"Not up there." Heyes slowly extended his right arm to point at the far wall. "Over there."

Hopping off the ladder, Kid stared at his cousin and then took his arm gently steering him toward the wall nearest the fire, "Come have a seat, I think you got more sun then we thought"

Heyes obeyed, dropping cross-legged.

"I'll get you a drink."

Heyes nodded again tearing his eyes from the wall to watch the smoke from the fire filter through the boards above them as rain seeped down.

Digging into his partner's saddlebags, Kid brought out a bottle of whiskey pouring a liberal dose in a cup and topping it with coffee. "Sounds like the hail is moving on." He said handing the cup to Heyes and when his cousin just held it, he pushed it toward his mouth. The movement caught Heyes' attention and with a bland smile, he took a large gulp. "Careful it's hot."

"Just barely." Heyes muttered drinking the cup dry. "I'll take another, hold the coffee."

Kid poured more whiskey in the cup, "You alright?"

"You really don't hear the cries?"

"No, sorry Heyes, I don't"

Heyes nodded taking a large gulp from his cup.

"You might want to slow down, ain't either of us ate since morning."

Heyes set the cup beside him but when his fingertips touched the dirt; he flinched like he was burnt.

Kid saw him do it, "Heyes you sure your alright?"

He nodded again and pulling his hat over his head, he shifted leaning back into the wall, his hands falling to reshaping his partially crushed Stetson. When he looked up suddenly, "Kid, I don't hear it anymore."

"Good! You were starting to worry me."

The corner of Heyes mouth curled up, "You…I'm the one hearing things."

Kid smiled back and patted him on the knee, "You're just tired."

Heyes sighed, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, "Maybe your right."

Kid watched him a moment more and then turned back to the fire as he made dinner, he heard Heyes breathing change and he smiled knowing he had fallen asleep, 'yup just tired is all.'

Looking around the large cellar, he saw their saddles were getting wet and moved them to the far wall, where it was staying dry. After a bit, he nudged Heyes handing him a plate of beans and beef jerky.

"Thanks."

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah. Not sure what happened." He tried to smile but it faltered. "Something sure got under my skin."

Kid nodded and around a bite said, "Sounds like the rain is lifting."

"We should go check on the horses when we finish. I got a bait of grain in my bags; I'd say they deserve it." Heyes said shoveling in a spoonful.

"Your right, they might need some reassuring after the scare they just had." His blue eyes shifted to his cousin, 'Scared that is a good way to describe how Heyes looked earlier. Don't think I've seen him truly scared not since…' Kid took a drink of coffee pushing the thoughts away. Putting the cup down, he saw Heyes was cleaning his plate and smiled, nothing made him feel better then to see Heyes honestly eating as he was like a hard to keep horse that went off his feed anytime the littlest thing bothered him.

"The center is wet."

Kid looked around trying to figure out what Heyes was talking about and saw he meant the center of the cellar where the rain had come down the thickest. "Must have been a fence lifter, sure glad we found cover."

"Yeah." Heyes replied setting his empty plate down and finishing his whiskey. He then stood gathering up their dirty dishes as he stacked them, his eyes slanted to the far wall where their saddles sat. "You get the grain and I will take these up for cleaning at the pump." Quickly before Kid could halt him, he scaled the ladder balancing the metal pile in his left hand; bumping the boards aside enough with his shoulders to set their dishes on the ground and he clambered out even quicker. Spying their horses standing side by side with their heads down, he began walking toward them when Kid called his name.

"You weren't kidding when you said you had a small bag of grain."

"Hadn't planned on feeding them more than one night, figured grass was good and we'd reach Cherryvale soon enough." He replied holding up his hand as Kid tossed the tied off bag to him. Hearing him walking over, the horses' heads rose in unison and they whickered at him, "Come here boys." He stepped under the first tree pouring two piles of grain, the horses came over to eat and standing between them, he turned scowling darkly at the storm shelter. Catching movement, he saw it was Kid rinsing the dishes and refilling their canteens. 'I was going to do that, give me extra time to come up with a reason not to go back down there.' He thought, turning to run his hands down his buckskin's back and not feeling any raised knots from the hail, he patted the animals wither, "Sorry boy you deserve better then to be left out in a storm." Kids paint leaned into him, "You too." He then checked the Paint's back. "Think when we reach Cherryvale, I'll see about selling you two for train tickets." The paint raised his head to look at Heyes. "I ain't saying you've been bad mounts. But face it boys your cowponies and we would do better with some long-legged gents who can really cover ground." The paint flicked its ears, snorted and returned to his grain.

"It's going to rain rest of the night. You coming back in soon so we can put the boards in place."

"Soon." He called, making a show of looking each animal over. At last, he walked back and as he neared the cellar, he became aware of his breathing. Each breath felt harder to draw, tighter in his chest, not painful, just noticeable. Stepping onto the ladder, he paused dreading going below but he could not think of a way to convince Kid to let him stay up top without starting an out and out fight. So he climbed in. Once on the ground, he found his cousin already in his bedroll. He stood listening, looking around but all seemed, as it should. 'Kid's right I'm just tired and too much sun.' Stepping over to his saddle, he pulled his bedroll and found a fairly dry spot near the ladder.

"Night Kid."

"Night Heyes."

The light, steady rain on the wood cover sounded soothing, Kids breathing leveled off and Heyes watched him flop onto his side as he slipped into deep sleep. The wood burnt down to soft glowing coals, the rain moved on across the plains and Heyes finally felt himself drifting off.

"Hey Mister."

He turned, digging deeper into his bedroll not wanting to be disturbed now that sleep had at last found him.

Slim, cold fingers brushed his dark hair from his face and Heyes waved them away as he would an errant fly. "Mister."

His eyes shot open, the cellar was dark the fire being only a few glowing coals but he could clearly see the child standing before him. She was pretty with long pale hair but her right arm hung at an odd angle. Staring at her, he realized her collarbone was broken and sticking out above her shoulder.

"You awake Mister?" she asked and Heyes popped upright to look straight into her soulless eyes. His mouth opened to holler for Kid and she began to fade, shaking her head, looking frightened and his voice gargled freezing up in his throat. "Mister you and your friend should leave." She glanced back over her broken shoulder, fear twisting the innocent beauty from her face. Then she was gone.

"Kid." Heyes said the word floating out between his huffing breaths. "Kid." His partner stirred, swallowing Heyes called out "Kid!" before the sound of the word faded all went pitch black, the coals snuffed out and a wind rising in the cellar. The wind moaned painfully, cold clasping fingers clutching at him and then green orbs of light began whirling with screams of mortal agony surrounding them. Heyes was on his feet, "JED!" the room was growing brighter across the way, he could see his cousin was standing with his Colt drawn. His blue eyes were as large as half-dollars and the screaming was getting louder, clasping his hands over his ears Heyes headed for the ladder and then gunfire ripped through the close space further deafening him. The screams stopped, the wind stopped, and the fingers grasping at him disappeared. Heyes exploded from the cellar turning to drag Curry out behind him. Running, they slid in the sticky, slick mud until coming to a stop under the trees near their horses.

Kid spun about looking at the empty prairie, "What in God's name was that?" He asked his voice sounding several octaves higher than the norm.

"I don't think God had anything to do with it." Heyes answered panting for breath.

They huddled against each other, seated below the tree and after a time Kid asked, "What are we going to do?"

"Sun will be up soon." Heyes nodded toward the gray line in the East. "Once its light we get our gear and ride as fast as we can out of this hell's half acre."

They sat in silence watching the dawn rise misty, pale and beautiful over the gently waving grass. The Kid looked at his Colt in his hands, turning it over, "Heyes what was that word you used last night?"

Heyes thought for a moment, "You mean malign?"

"That's the one. You ever get that malign feeling again; I'll ride with you through a blizzard before setting up camp. I don't much care for going up against things I can't fight like…like."

"Haunts."

"Exactly."

"I think its light enough. Let's get these horses' saddle and ride like we got a posse on our tails."

"Partner, that's the _best _plan I've heard all year."


End file.
